Last year, the dream team of Stacy and Matthew McCarry released Beyond Bacon, a beautiful, informative and very comprehensive book all about pig meat in its various forms (read my review here).

Now they’re doing it again, except this time it’s so much more than pork. Inside RLP are 175 paleo recipes (helpfully well signposted to let you know what’s egg free, dairy free etc) and they cover the whole gamut of eating from breakfast, snacks, desserts, mains and sides to second breakfast and third dinners (what? those are things!).

I also really loved the way the contents page carried a thumbnail pic of every recipe, making it very easy to navigate.

But Real Life Paleo is not just a recipe collection, it’s also guide on how to transition to paleo eating…and stick with it.

This is a book that will really benefit the newbies. It identifies the common stumbling blocks with going paleo and suggests helpful swaps (“I want pasta!” “Ever heard of squash noodles? or sweet potato gnocchi?“).

I want to eat all of that. Now

There’s also heaps of practical advice about shopping lists, sticking to a budget and meal planning. Type As like myself will really love the way the recipes are colour coded to indicate whether they’re a ‘phase one’ or ‘phase two’ meal.

Incidentally, those phases are important. Phase one is the swap, where problematic foods are replaced with healthier alternatives. In the second phase you remove the really nasty stuff (processed oils, sugars etc) and in phase three it’s all about how to heal – using nutrient dense foods to get your body back on track.

Swap, remove, heal. It’s as simple as that.

the breakfast recipes!

For me, a cookbook lives and dies on its photography and RLP doesn’t disappoint. It’s the same beautiful photography and gorgeous layout style you’ll recognise from Beyond Bacon. As I said to Hubs when turning the glossy pages: this is not just a recipe book, it’s a piece of art.

In summary, here’s what I loved about RLP: the design, the photography, the sheer volume of recipes.

And here’s who could really use a copy: paleo virgins, novices in the kitchen, anyone looking to improve their diet and their health and those struggling with converting to the paleo lifestyle.

TMBL disclosure: I did not receive any compensation for this post, other than a copy of the book. If you want to order Real Life Paleo you can do it through Amazon, Paleo Parents or get a signed copy and meet the authors on their book tour which runs Nov 21 – Jan 4